Boston in the Shadows? What Changes Taller Buildings Could Bring to the Landscape

Recent zoning changes approved for Boston's downtown, greenlighting taller skyscrapers, could affect the city's cherry blossoms, weeping willows, and tulips in the Boston Public Garden.

Critics of the zoning changes, such as Leslie Adam, board chair of the Friends of the Public Garden, are raising concerns about taller buildings in downtown Boston. They argue that skyscrapers could cast longer shadows over the historic Public Garden and Boston Common, potentially harming their ecosystems and public enjoyment.

Adam contends that "shadow laws" enacted more than 35 years ago are considered outdated. She argues that these laws are insufficient to protect parks from the impacts of new, taller skyscrapers, especially those exceeding 500 feet.

While she noted that her organization doesn't object to the continued growth of downtown, its members want shadow impacts studied for each building project proposal using updated sunshine modeling. They also want the city only to allow the Midtown Cultural District exemptions if projects have a valid reason to move forward.

“We know through science there are ways to do this. And we always think of the long term, ensuring the parks are here today but also for the next generations ahead of us,” Adam said on Friday, Oct. 24, in an interview with MassLive.

According to a MassLive report, the recent zoning changes allow buildings up to 700 feet tall in specific downtown areas, stretching from Boston Common to the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Closer to the Common, heights will be capped at 100 to 155 feet.

During a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 22, representatives from the city's Planning Department explained that the only new area where a 700-foot building height is possible is north of State Street. According to department officials, this location is far enough from the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common not to cast shadows on them.